Top 15 alternative uses for chopsticks
- by Anna Sattler (RSS feed) on Feb 18th 2008 11:00AM
- Filed under in the kitchen, kids, gardening and plants, staying green, cleaning
I have never been able to master using chopsticks, even with Francesca's great post on springloaded chopsticks. I would much rather use a fork, and better yet, my fingers. Almost any food can be eaten with fingers, so I would rather put chopsticks to better use anyway, like using them to swirl soap like Debra McDuffee does.According to Wikipedia, chopsticks originated in ancient China. There are many different styles used by different countries, and different etiquette rules apply for each country. Chopsticks are being taxed in China, due to an overabundance of them being thrown away. Chopsticks can be washed and reused for many things. Join me after the jump to find out what those uses are.
- Stuck toast can easily be removed from an unplugged toaster by using a wooden chopstick.
- Remove the shell and vein from shrimp. Insert the tapered end into the "spine" of the shrimp and push the black vein out.
- Use as a kabob or vegetable skewer.
- Use a wooden chopstick as a temperature gauge for cooking meat in hot oil. You'll know your ready to cook when the oil bubbles as the chopstick touches the bottom of the pan.
- Use as a plant stake or support for plants.
- Use as a hair bun holder.
- Stir your tall cocktail drinks.
- Use as a puppet stand.
- Broken sticks make great Popsicle sticks. No sharp edges for the kiddies, please!
- Use in place of a spoon to stir sauces.
- Use the end of a chopstick to maneuver a cloth around inside a dirty baby jar, bottle, or vase to clean it.
- Retrieve lost items from under the washer, dryer, TV console, stove, fridge, or any other large appliance or furniture.
- Under a watchful eye, kids can use a pair of chopsticks and an ice cream bucket for banging like a drum.
- If you stepped in dog poop, use a chopstick to clean out the poop from the crevices in your shoes.
- Chopsticks make great paint stirrers.
Comments [3]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-24-2008 @ 5:46PM
M.E. Williams said...
I go to a noodle restaurant with some Asian dishes all the time, and thus wind up with a lot of excess chopsticks. Their chopsticks are really nice, because you don't have to break them apart, and they're round and come in a really cute wrapper.
I don't have suggestion #16 for chopsticks, but I do have to say that only the lacquered or plastic ones you buy at the store are particularly great for hair (and I have to admit to having a couple of pairs in my hair-accessory drawer -- sometimes the plastic ones need a light sanding).
The fast-food kind are way too splitty and splintery, and they snag hair like nobody's business. I stuck one of the Nice Round Noodle Place Chopsticks in my hair the other night and instantly regretted it.
Sooo, the ways to fix that snagging depends on the final finish people want! If you're not going to paint the chopsticks, you can sand them and rub them with waxed paper. If you are going to paint them (which I think is preferable, personally), sand them, wipe off any sanding residue with a tack cloth (or a damp cloth, then let them dry), paint however you want, and finish with a few coats of clear polyurethane or etc.
(Of course, the "you" here is not Anna, who probably knows all this already, but any reader who stumbles across this one and isn't sure what to do. ;)
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2-24-2008 @ 7:05PM
M.E. Williams said...
... =/ no, I don't bring the asian dishes with me as my guests. i thought grammar and I were friends, but I guess I was wrong! ;)
(Of course, that first line should have read, "I frequent a noodle restaurant that serves several Asian dishes...")
8-03-2008 @ 8:06PM
Designer said...
They make a quick and easy back scratcher, for those spots that are just out of reach.
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